Kenny Cooper’s two goals last Sunday—his second and third in three games—offered a pretty good indication of why the New York Red Bulls traded for the veteran forward.

A conversation with the 27-year-old veteran provides another one.

Positive, grateful, sincere and humble, Cooper seems incapable of either holding a grudge or causing a stir. His recent career has featured its share of ups and downs, among them his surprising January departure from the Portland Timbers, for whom he scored eight goals last year.

Cooper, a son of a former pro who’s had several tastes of big-time soccer, loved the atmosphere, intensity and support that surrounded the Timbers. He admitted to “serious mixed emotions” when he was dealt to New York. But he also had nothing but the highest praise for everyone in Portland, even though he’d be entitled to some indignation. Cooper is just that good of a guy—precisely the sort of player the Red Bulls need.

While Cooper was loving life as a Timber, the Red Bulls were in disarray. A talented team on paper that failed to find the right formula on the field, New York made as much news for its missteps as it did for its soccer. Fans grew frustrated. Club management lashed out at schedulers and referees while players criticized opponents, the press and each other.

It’s likely that the scene behind the scenes was never as bad as it looked—harmony doesn’t get reported—but adding a bit of character to the locker room never hurt any team. Adding some goals certainly helps as well. In Cooper, the Red Bulls (1-2-0) have found both, and the timing couldn’t be better. With Juan Agudelo injured and Luke Rodgers back in England, the club needed an attacking foil for captain Thierry Henry in the worst way. So far, Cooper has fit the bill.

“I was sad to leave such a great club that’s so well supported,” Cooper told Sporting News. “I really feel honored that I was a part of their inaugural season in the league, played for a great coach in John Spencer, a great guy, and am really grateful to him, (owner) Merritt (Paulson) and everyone for letting me be a part of that season and have the opportunity to play in front of the Timbers Army. I feel really privileged.”

And he feels equally privileged to be with the Red Bulls, playing in a city that’s “one of my favorites, if not my favorite” and playing alongside Henry, who he called a “personal hero.”

Playing for the Red Bulls could be an intimidating prospect for some. While the Timbers are worshipped in Portland, the Red Bulls must fight for attention in Gotham. That which they do receive often can reflect the 16 years that fans have been waiting for the club’s first major trophy. On top of that, there’s a roster filled with decorated veterans, accomplished reserves hungry for minutes and some pretty outsized personalities.

Naturally, Cooper feels like he fits right in and said that Henry, who’s had his surly moments with fans and the media, and Rafa Márquez, the poster boy for the team’s 2011 dysfunction, couldn’t be nicer or more supportive. Cooper has a way of drawing those instincts out of people. Trying to find someone willing say a single critical word about the Baltimore native is a fool’s errand.

“I think it’s a fantastic locker room and I feel like it’s been a really smooth transition. I have to credit them for that. I felt comfortable early on, not just with the players but everybody associated with the club,” Cooper said.

“I obviously wasn’t with them last year, but my personal experience so far has been fantastic. Everyone’s treated me well, there’s great leaders in the team and the experienced players come here every day and work hard and offer great advice.”

Cooper has plenty of experience himself. He was raised in a soccer household—his father was a goalkeeper who moved from England to play with the old North American Soccer League’s Dallas Tornado—and he was talented enough as a teenager to catch the eye of Manchester United. Cooper signed with the English Premier League giant in 2004 but never played for the senior side, going on loan to clubs elsewhere in England and Portugal.

He returned to Texas in ’06 and joined up with FC Dallas, where he spent 3½ years, scored 40 goals and earned a spot on the 2008 MLS Best XI. Then it was back to Europe and one of the game’s other capitals, Munich. Cooper inked a three-year deal with 1860 Munich in the summer of ’09, following a run with the U.S. national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. But injuries and inconsistent form limited his impact, and a loan to England’s Plymouth Argyle in 2010 ended without a permanent deal.

His arrival in Portland was met with the sort of fanfare expected from a rabid fan base welcoming an offensive talisman. Cooper played decently last season but endured a couple of dry stretches, including one that lasted more than three months. When Scottish scoring machine Kris Boyd became available this winter, Cooper was dealt to New York—a club that appeared more than set at the position with Henry, Agudelo and Rodgers.

But Red Bulls GM Erik Solér and coach Hans Backe knew what they were doing. They figured Agudelo would miss time with the U.S. Under-23 national team (although he won’t be missing as much as expected) and that Rodgers’ still-unresolved visa situation could create a need up front. In Cooper they’ve found an energetic striker who’s more than happy to play second fiddle to Henry, pull defenders out of position and run hard off the ball.

Those qualities paid off twice in Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Rapids. Cooper found space and finished a dazzling through ball from Henry early on, then bulled his way toward a cross from Roy Miller for the 89th-minute coup de grace.

At 6-3 and 210 pounds, Cooper has the size and strength to muscle through just about any defender in MLS. Backe would like to see more of that.

“He's a very nice guy, probably too nice,” Backe told Goal.com. “If he would use his body a little bit more, he would even score more.”

Perhaps, but a nice guy, a club-first guy, is exactly what the Red Bulls can use. Meanwhile, Cooper can use an ambitious club like New York. He still considers himself relatively young and knows there’s plenty left to accomplish. He knows that Agudelo and Rodgers or his replacement will want his minutes. And he knows that New York is starved for a winner. Asked what his personal goals are this season, the team-first player responded with a team-first answer.

“I think about the group. They’re hungry to win an MLS Cup,” Cooper said. “This team obviously has a lot of quality. Hopefully this will be our year to do it.”